


Igniting A Fire

by WaveRider



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:40:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23682517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaveRider/pseuds/WaveRider
Summary: An RE3 (2020) retelling of the story from the entirety of Carlos' point of view.
Relationships: Carlos Oliveira/Jill Valentine
Comments: 27
Kudos: 150





	1. A Little Bit Of Luck

**Author's Note:**

> Please note, this is what I imagine the story from Carlos' point of view to be. I understand people can have different viewpoints but please bear that in mind when you read mine. And if you choose to read on, I hope you enjoy. It is my first attempt at story telling for several years. So I'm rusty. I will try and update regularly as work allows.

_His orders were to rescue as many civilians as they could_

* * *

The door splintered against the wall behind it, as his boot hit it squarely in the middle, forcing it inwards.  
  
His breath was heavy as he raised his assault rifle to his shoulder, scanning the dimly lit corridor in front of him. Flickers of light from the flames outside danced on the walls.  
  
It appeared deserted.  
  
He stepped forwards over the threshold. He counted three doors in front of him, one directly ahead, and two to the right.  
  
He took a deep breath, and rolled his shoulder that supported the weight of the rocket launcher strapped to his back. He eased forwards, his footsteps light on the woodwork.  
  
There were sounds of screaming echoing distantly from outside. But all he could hear right now was the sound of his breathing and the thumping of his heart against his ribcage.  
  
Reports from the occupants next door, that were currently being escorted the subway station by Tyrell, was that at least two people lived in this apartment. So far there was no sign of them. Unless they had beat feet before he got here, it was highly unlikely that they were still in the property. But he may as well check.  
  
He boots scuffed as he paused before the first doorway, he leaned against the wall as he reached out for the handle. Sweat dripped down his brow. The door handle creaked as he gripped it. He shifted the rifle in his hands and went to open the door.  
  
The hiss just alerted him, he glanced up and saw the former occupants stumbling towards him, their rotting hands reaching out.  
  
Without thinking he pulled the trigger. Their faces exploded and the slumped down at his feet, the flesh oozing as their bodies settled.  
  
His panted as he wiped some muck off his face.  
  
" ** _Carlos!_** " His radio crackled in his ear.  
  
He reached up with his fingers, and pressed against the talk button on the side of his headset.  
  
"I hear you Tyrell. What's up?"  
  
" ** _I've almost made it to the subway station with the last of the stragglers. Its getting worse out here by the second. How's things your end?_** "  
  
Carlos sighed as he looked down at the two bodies in front of him  
  
"Not good. The occupants of the apartment were long gone before we got here." _A little bit more long gone now_ , he added to himself.  
  
" ** _Well you need to get back here. There's not much else to do there, and we need to work on getting this train moving_ **"  
  
"On my way"  
  
He heard whirring out the window next to him, frowning he walked towards the window and wiped some blood of the glass. Peering outside he saw helicopter land on the multi storey nearby. He was just turning to go and run and see if he could meet them when the explosion blew it apart and wiped out the window. The blast forced him back and he landed square against the wall, landed on the ground with a hard thump. His ears began ringing as he shook his head.  
  
He groaned as he got to his feet, stretching his back, testing for broken bones. Maybe a few bruised ribs but nothing he couldn't handle.  
  
He glanced out the window long enough to see what could have been the biggest most gruesome fucker he had ever seen, walking through the carcass of the helicopter explosion to a woman who looked frozen on her feet.  
  
His boots slipped on the floor as he scrambled out the door. He bumped into the doorframe as he scrambled out into the main corridor, making a good pace as he ran for the stairs. He raised his rifle up as he took the stairs two at a time.  
  
He crashed through the main door and onto the street and peered as he heard a loud revving engine. The big fucker he had just seen was falling down to towards the ground, his grip slipping from the hood of the car that had just driven him off the roof. He saw the same woman he had just seen before at the wheel of the car. The car crashed down nose first, landing on the big brute before rolling several times and landing a few feet away.  
  
 _That was one brave move  
  
_ He briefly thought about whether he would have the cojones to that, before he came to his senses. He ran towards the car. Sure it was a huge crash but still there could always be that slim chance she survived. And he had to get her out of here.  
  
He watched her crawl out of the vehicle. _Alive then.  
  
_ An explosion buffeted him and he ducked behind a car. He peeked up to see the car from the roof had exploded, and his heart sank for a few moments before he saw her still alive, but looking panicked. He glanced further up and saw the big creature from before, somehow still kicking and walking slowly towards her through the flames. _  
  
How the fuck was that thing still alive??  
  
_ The woman was shuffling backwards on the floor, clearly in pain, but not getting up to run away quicker. _  
  
Okay Carlos, time for some heroics.  
  
_ He stood up straight pulling the rocket launcher from his back. _  
  
Good thing I brought this.  
  
_ He aimed at the creature just as it reached a few steps away from the woman.  
  
"Hey, fuckface!"  
  
The creature turned to look at him as he fired the rocket. It was almost a direct hit, until the creature sidestepped, a tentacle springing from its arm, and caught the rocket midair. The rocket fizzled as it paused, the creature turning to look back at him again as he flung the rocket away towards many of the abandoned vehicles. Exploding there instead. _  
  
Well... shit.  
  
_ The creature turned to step towards him. Carlos pressed his lips into a determined gaze, narrowing his eyes slightly.  
 _  
Catch this  
  
_ He fired again. This time the rocket directly impacted the creatures chest, dropping it to its knees. It sunk back, and just knelt there smouldering, as if frozen rather than what he hoped to be dead.  
  
He scrambled over the car, running past the creature. He chucked the now spent rocket launcher on the ground, its last piece of ammo fired in the direction of the crackling flames behind him.  
  
The woman was trying to get to her feet, Carlos immediately knelt down to help her.  
  
"Hey, easy lady... I got ya" He yelled in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. His hand rested on her shoulder as she turned to face him, confusion and surprise on her face.  
  
"Who are you? What are you do--"  
  
"Name's Carlos and I'm saving you"  
  
He pulled her arm up and around her shoulder, lifting her onto her feet, his hip steadying her as she swayed on tired feet.  
  
"C'mon, let's get you someplace safe"  
  
He continued to support her as she limped on the uneven ground. He stole a quick glance at the creature still on its knees smouldering before fixing his gaze forwards, focusing on the warm skin of the arm draped around his shoulders, and the feel of his assault rifle bumping against the padding of his jacket.  
  
A quick glance told him she wasn't quite as vulnerable as he first thought when he spied the weapon holster on her upper thigh, with some kit pouches as well. A badge was also attached to her belt but he couldn't quite make it out, but he assumed she was RPD.  
  
 _Explains why she was able to handle herself then._ He thought to himself.  
  
His gaze went quickly up, skipping over what he knows woman will absolutely catch you looking at, only taking in the sight of dirt, burns and cuts and bruises, that crisscrossed her clothes and arms. And the way she held herself against him, probably more than a couple of cracked ribs. But her step in time with him was determined, almost more determined than his. _  
_  
He focused his gaze forwards, and made his way in the direction of the subway station, his spirits starting to pick up slightly. Maybe a little bit of good luck was heading the teams ways. _  
_


	2. Frustration

He stumbled down the steps, his breathing heavy, still supporting the woman at his side. He staggered down the corridor for a short way.  
  
"I think we're in the clear" he panted.  
  
As he said that the woman let go of him, stumbling for a moment before resting her hands on her knees, her breathing heavy. He stumbled a couple of extra steps forward, his own breathing hard. He straightened up as his muscles started to ache.  
  
"Hope so"  
  
His head whipped to look at her, bent over breathing in deeply, desperately trying to get air in, although it looked painful. He figured he should take the chance now to explain to her what they were doing. He hoped his quick assessment of her meant she might be willing to help.  
  
"We've been bringing survivors here" He said, gesturing down the corridor with his hand. He became acutely aware of his rifle hanging down at his side. After carrying it in his left hand in order to assist the woman, he swapped it back over to his right, his finger automatically coming to a rest near the trigger. As thoughts crossed his mind of what he had just shot a rocket at, he lifted it up into a more ready position against his torso. Never can be too careful.  
  
"Here where?" She asked, gazing up at him from where she was still bent over. He glanced down at her, he nodded slightly as if in approval. He glanced back down the way they came, checking nothing had followed them.  
  
"My guys have converted some subway cars into a shelter."  
  
He walked towards the steps leading down into the subway station, his rifle still readied against his torso. He scanned the stairs. He could still see faint lights of flames flickering, but no evidence that any undead had come shuffling after them. And most importantly, no evidence of the overly large creature from before.  
  
"It's safe" he nodded, as if reassuring himself of his assessment.  
  
He turned his head and looked back. The woman now stood straighter and had turned to watch him. Now under the dim lights coming from the subway station ceiling he was able to see more of her. Definitely battered and definitely bruised. And by the way she held herself, definitely a cop. She probably needed more supplies for that gun she was carrying, he would have to let her know where the supplies were. He strode back towards her, instinctively dropping his rifle down and switching it back into his left hand as he approached her. He reached out with his right hand offering assistance again. Just as his finger tips brushed her bare shoulder, her arm came up to block him, her forearm against his elbow in a defensive position knocking his arm away.  
  
"I'm fine" She stated, her gaze determined as if daring him to challenge her.  
  
His lips parted slightly as if to retaliate, like questioning if she was sure she was fine, but he thought better of it. He took a couple of steps back, taking his arm further away from her and gesturing in a shrugging motion. She wasn't gonna get the rise she wanted out of him, he was raised to respect women's boundaries, and he was gonna let her know that.  
  
"Personal space, OK. I get it. Let's go."  
  
He switched his rifle back to main hand, held it against his torso and jogged down the corridor, not even looking back to see if she followed. He had jogged a short way before realising that the grate had been lowered and he couldn't go any further. How come he hadn't noticed this before? He wouldn't usually miss something that obvious.  
  
"Aw c'mon." He growled in frustration. "Who's the dipshit that closed this?"  
  
He rattled the gate a little bit to test if he could open and it didn't budge. Well they weren't going this way then. He glanced back at her, she stood a few steps away, although she wasn't looking at him. She was gazing at the posters as if lost in her own thoughts. He did glance down and notice her gun was no longer in it's holster. Instead she held it ready, her posture further giving away the fact that she was a cop. Its easy to spot a cop by the way they held their gun.  
  
"Sorry" He called out, as she turned to look at him "We're gonna have to go around."  
  
He turned to the door on his right, testing the handle, thankfully this was unlocked, it swung open on its hinges, squeaking slightly. He glanced down the confined corridor that made up the back passage, nothing appeared to be waiting for them. He made his way through the door. He heard footsteps behind as she turned to follow.  
  
"Hey, what do you know about that monster?" she asked from behind him.  
  
Surprised, Carlos paused for a moment and turned to look at her. Sure he was well armed, but why did she assume that he knew anything about that creature? He only set eyes on it about 30 minutes ago after watching it try to kill her. Other than that, his knowledge on it was non-existent. She waited, watching, as if expecting him to answer. He considered for a moment.  
  
"Nothing. I've never seen anything like it"  
  
He strode down the corridor, his thoughts whirring. He felt like that wasn't a good enough answer. His brief glance at the creature hadn't been enough for a full assessment but he did notice some things. Like how it seemed to have every bit of determined focused the woman behind him seemed to have, almost like she was the creature's mission, although that sounded bizarre even to him. He paused briefly at the point where the wall bent round to the left, considering whether to voice his opinion aloud.  
  
"But it's no zombie. It knows what it wants and won't stop till it gets it" He felt a smirk creep onto his face "Don't you like that in a man?"  
  
"No thanks. He's all yours"  
  
He turned back to look at her, saw the doubt in her eyes after his probably now poor attempt at humour.  
  
 _Maybe its time for some friendly reassurance Carlos._  
  
"Listen, I promise you're in good hands." He turned to continue back down the corridor. "I'm with Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service. U.B.C.S for short."  
  
"Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me?!" She shouted from behind him, anger evident in her voice. "You guys are the ones who caused all of this!" Her voice raising even louder.  
  
His forehead crinkled in confusion. Where would she get a crazy idea like that from? He was literally deployed here to rescue civilians and try and save as many lives as possible. In what way does that mean they caused this?  
  
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa. What are you talking about?" As he turned to go down the stairs, his voice low. "We're just here to help people. What's wrong with Umbrella?"  
  
His question was genuine as he honestly had no idea what she was talking about. But he heard the scoff from behind as he hit halfway down the stairs.  
  
"What's wrong with Umbrella?" Her laugh was sarcastic. "Oh my god"   
  
He wasn't even looking at her at this point but he could visibly hear the eye roll in her voice. His confusion was replaced by frustration. He turned to look at as he paused at the door, his face blank of emotions as he rested on her visibly angry face.  
  
"Your company is responsible for infecting everyone!" She shouted at him.  
  
Carlos almost wanted to shout back, but he figured that wouldn't help the situation much. So he opted to go for sounding unsure.  
  
"Yeah, uh, I don't know anything about all that"  
  
Definitely the wrong call. Her glare deepened as they locked gazes. Carlos felt his cheeks warm as his frown deepened. His anger also rose in him, but he shoved it down and held her gaze. His training keeping his emotions in check. Frustrated or not he was not going to rise to it, although he did personally feel offended about how ungrateful she was being right now.  
  
"You don't have to trust me, but I'm going to the shelter." He pointed at the door behind him. "You comin'?"  
  
Not waiting for an answer he promptly turned around and tried the door handle. Finding it locked his frustration boiled up to overflowing. What dickbag locked this door? He hip hitched up as his anger flowed through his leg, the door smashed open, banging loudly against the wall behind it. He strode through and looked back at her. The glare still etched on her face.  
  
"C'mon, its this way" He added tersely, turning to sprint to the subway car. If she wanted shelter she was gonna have to keep up.  
  
His frustration bubbled away inside him. He sure hoped her wrongful bias wouldn't stop her from helping them.  
  
  



	3. We All Want The Same Thing

Carlos sprinted onto the subway train. His eyes took in his Captain Mikhail Victor sat on one of the benches holding his stomach. He glanced up at Carlos as he sprinted in, coming to a stop before him.  
  
"Ah Carlos. You are last one to return. What took you so long" He grimaced as he shifted in his seat.  
  
Carlos swallowed as he took in the amount of blood that seemed to have seeped out. Before Carlos had left to hunt for survivors Mikhail had insisted he was fine when Carlos offered to check him over. Clearly he wasn't. Carlos was gonna insist on checking the wound now.  
  
"I was, uh, looking for survivors. Most of them I sent back with Tyrell but I did come across... one..." His voice tailed off as he heard echoing footsteps. He turned around peered out the door of the carriage. The woman was making her way towards them. He heard Mikhail chuckle slightly behind him.  
  
She stepped onto the carriage, her hand resting on the doorframe and looked around, frowning slightly as she laid eyes on him.  
  
Carlos shifted his weight, and turned towards Mikhail, away from the frown that was starting to annoy him a little bit.  
  
"Hey Captain. This fine young lady could use our help." He gestured towards her as she walked past. He heard her scoff as she walked past. His grip tightened on his assault rifle just a little bit. He knelt down to attend to the first aid box on the seat next to him, leaning his rifle against the seat. The box was a mess, he was gonna have to try and sort this.  
  
Mikhail followed her walking with his eyes, a slight smile crept onto his face as he took in her appearance.  
  
"Carlos, you didn't even think to ask fine young lady her name?" Mikhail glanced at him, causing Carlos to shake his head slightly. Mikhail turned back to her. Thinking of it why didn't Carlos ask her name...  
  
The woman had turned to look at Mikhail, mistrust in her face. Mikhail stared up at her smirking slightly. He leaned back in his chair as he spoke.  
  
"She is an elite operative of R.P.D Special Tactics and Rescue Service." He drawled in rough tones.  
  
Carlos paused in sorting out the first aid supplies. S.T.A.R.S? Carlos risked a glance her way. So she was some kind of super cop? Supercop, he should probably use that as her nickname.  
  
Mikhail leaned forwards once he realised he had caught the woman's attention.  
  
"Her name is... something... Valentine"  
  
"It's Jill" she said. A flicker of mistrust was briefly on her face. The fact that Mikhail knew who she was probably confirmed her suspicions about them being behind everything. Carlos should have gone back to sorting through the first aid box but the tension in the room made him feel slightly on edge. Jill proceeded to sit down opposite Mikhail, her hands on knees staring him down. Mikhail remained unfazed.  
  
"Nice to meet you Jill. I am U.B.C.S. Platoon Leader Mikhail Victor." He settled back in his seat as if letting the comment sink in.  
  
"My team was sent here to rescue civilians" He grimaced as he gestured towards the other carriage. He spared a glance at his stomach before hugging his hand against it a little tighter leaning into the pain.  
  
Jill smirked. "Right. How's that going for you?" she said as she turned to look at him again.  
  
"This city is completely cut off. Isolated. Most of the hundred thousand civilians will wind up dead. Ah, correction: undead"   
  
Jill shifted in her seat uncomfortably at his words. Mikhail turned to look at Carlos, causing him to pause in what he was doing for a moment. Mikhail sighed  
  
"My platoon has suffered serious losses. Just keeping them alive is more than I can manage." Carlos shifted on his knees slightly.   
  
"Well you can thank your corporate overlords for that." Jill stated.   
  
Mikhail smirked. "Yes, well... We are doing all we can. If we can get this subway train moving... we can evacuate some survivors."  
  
The man looked somber and serious as he stared down Jill.   
  
"But we need help. My men cannot do this alone"  
  
Jill's gaze flicked to Carlos before flicking off to the side as she thought through Mikhail's words. She smiled, albeit reluctantly. "Alright" She looked at Carlos again as she continued speaking. " I'm in."  
  
She stood up and walked towards Mikhail "But I am on their side. Not yours"  
  
"Oh hey, hey, that's cool." Carlos interjected quickly to diffuse the tension. "We all want the same thing."  
  
Mikhail's face showed approval. "Thank you, Jill"  
  
Carlos looked next to the first aid box and spotted a small radio. He closed the lid, leaning on it as he pushed himself back up to his feet.  
  
"Alright, supercop. Here you go." He held out the radio to her. "We can use this to stay in contact"  
  
She took it off him, leaning forwards slightly as she spoke to him "I know what a radio is". Sarcasm filled her voice as she clipped it to her belt.   
  
Carlos snorted slightly as a brief smile came on his face. "OK" He turned back to the first aid box while gesturing to one of the carriage doors. "First things first. We need to get you geared up. Head up to street level. You'll find supplies there."  
  
"Alright" Jill gave him one last look before she turned to head out to the platform. Carlos felt him self smiling slightly as he watched her leave, before shaking his head and turning back to the bandage and antiseptic he had found in the box. He turned his attention to Mikhail. He eased his hand back to look at the wound.   
  
"Shit, Captain. They really took a chunk out of you" Carlos started to clean the wound.   
  
"Nothing that I will miss" Mikhail groaned as he cleaned the wound. Carlos smirked slightly. Man was still stubborn.  
  
He glanced out the window as his hands unwrapped the bandage package. He caught the tail end of Jill as she headed up the stairs to street level.  
  
Mikhail caught him staring and chuckled, snatching the bandage out of his hands.  
  
"If you're not too distracted..." Mikhail leaned round and shoved Carlos' rifle into his hands. "Track still needs cleaning. I handle this" He said waving the bandage.   
  
Carlos leant on his rifle as he stood up. "You sure you can manage?"  
  
"I have been bandaging own wounds since before you were born. Now go, clean track. I can still give orders"   
  
Carlos smiled as he walked down the carriage to collect Tyrell. Time to do some cleaning. 


	4. Clearing The Tracks

Carlos hopped off the train and onto the train tracks, one of the other members of the squad informed him Tyrell head already headed out on the tracks. He checked his pistol was loaded before heading off down the tracks, his gaze scanning the darkness. He pressed his finger to his ear as he walked.  
  
"Jill, it's me again. You topside yet?"  
  
" ** _Working on it. So what's the plan?_** "  
  
"The old tank's got me clearing the tracks. You mind getting getting the subway infrastructure back online?"  
  
" ** _And how do I do that?_** " The tone was questioning but sarcastic. Carlos suppressed a sigh.  
  
Carlos glanced around him, taking in the emergency lighting and the distinct lack of power.   
  
"Let's start by restoring power. I'll navigate you to the substation once you hit the main road."  
  
" ** _Copy that. Let's do this fast_** "  
  
The radio crackled off, her tone businesslike and to the point. Carlos' hand dropped from his ear. He sure hoped Jill was up to the task. He stepped over a small barrier as Tyrell came into view. Tyrell swung round as he heard him coming, his rifle light bouncing into his eyes, causing Carlos to squint and raise his arm to block it.   
  
"Carlos!" Tyrell lowered the rifle and Carlos blinked a few times as the darkness rushed back in. "You have any idea why old Mikhail wants us out here?" Tyrell kicked over a small piece of rubbish, his rifle torch light bouncing off the tunnel walls.   
  
Carlos gestured to the mess in front of them, the burning debris and distant moans of undead. "Clearing the tracks"  
  
Tyrell muttered as he wandered up the track, causing Carlos to smirk. Carlos clipped his own rifle on a strap onto his jacket and swung it round onto his back, he needs his hands free to work. He hefted a small peice of rubble and chucked it against the wall out of the way.  
  
"Surely we need to go switch the power on, why aren't we doing that right now" Tyrell muttered, Carlos grunted as he picked another piece of rubble.   
  
"Becuase we're clearing the tracks and anyway..." Carlos wiped some sweat off his brow. "We enlisted a bit of help."  
  
"Help?? Everyone is either running scared, dead or very much undead. What help could there be?" Tyrell turned to look at him.   
  
"Seems like not all of S.T.A.R.S is out of action or out of town" He stood up and brushing his hands hands together to knock the dust off his gloves. "Basically we got some help, now are you gonna shut and help me or keeping muttering about how unfair it is being on garbage duty?"  
  
"I just think we can do better than any random R.P.D cop on turning on pow..."  
  
Carlos held up a finger to pause Tyrell as his radio bleeped in his ear.  
  
" ** _Carlos? I've reached the main avenue. Which way do I go?_** " Jill stated in his ear.   
  
Carlos looked at Tyrell. "Hold that thought." Carlos held his finger against his ear and turned slightly away from Tyrell as he continued to mutter.   
  
"See a big transmission tower? That's the substation. You'll have to circle around through an alley to your right to get there."   
  
" ** _You mean the alley that's on fire?_** " Jill asked him sarcastically in his ear.   
  
Carlos sighed "...maybe?" Then he smirked. "Surely a tall drink of water like yourself can put out a few flames?"  
  
There was a short pause before the radio crackled into life again. " _ **Fuck you**_ "  
  
Carlos rolled his eyes as his hand dropped from the radio again and caught Tyrell staring at him, an amused expression on his face. "What?"  
  
"Trust you to flirt during the apocalypse. I'm guessing who ever that was didn't appreciate it judging by your expression"  
  
Carlos stuck two fingers up at Tyrell causing him to laugh. "Alright, I'll back off. So this whoever she is.... she up to the task?"  
  
"I sure hope so." Carlos sighed as he looked at the mess they still needed to clear up. "This is gonna take us a bit isn't it"  
  
"Probably, hey, maybe you can think up some new one liners to use on your girl on the other end of the radio there."  
  
Carlos rolled his eyes, "Shut up and get on with clearing the track before the old tank starts yelling at us"   
  
Tyrell was still smiling as he walked up off the track, his rifle light bouncing off the tunnel as he turned the corner. Carlos frowned as he turned back to the various different bits of rubbish he still needed to clear. Time to get to work. 


	5. It's Still Alive!

Carlos grunted as he hefted a bit more rubble out of the way, he heard a smattering of rifle fire from round the corner. He whipped the rifle off his back and ran down the track. He fired at the zombie shuffling towards Tyrell as he reloaded. The head exploded with a satisfying squish sound, falling dead at Tyrell's feet.  
  
Tyrell wiped zombie muck off his face, making disgusted noises as he did so, taking care not to get any in his mouth.  
  
"A couple of seconds quicker would have been appreciated" He flicked his hands, trying to get the stuff off his gloves, before reaching for his glasses.  
  
Carlos smiled. He busied himself with checking his magazine, half full. He patted down his pockets checking for how many mags he had left. Judging by the empty pockets, not a lot. He'd have to stop by the supply crates before too long.  
  
A low whining/humming noise had both Tyrell and Carlos whip around with their weapons ready. There had been reports of zombie dogs, and both of them backed away from the noise, breathing heavy. Eventually the hum turned into a crackling as various different lights flickered to life around them. Both of them lowered their weapons.  
  
"Guess Jill is the real deal then. Power seems to be back on" Tyrell said just as Carlos' radio crackled. Speak of the devil...  
  
" ** _Carlos, it's Jill. I've restored power to the subway_**."  
  
Carlos looked around him as more things powered on, smiling to himself. His spirits lifting with each new thing that turned on.  
  
"Nice going! Next up is the traffic control system. It should be in the subway company's offices"

Carlos tied to imagine where she was currently in order to direct her to where she needed to go, before she interjected.  
  
" _ **Right, I think I know the building**_ "  
  
"Really? Way to go, partner. One step ahead!" His mood buoyant, he imagined mentally high fiving her. Tyrell has likened him to an excitable puppy at times, Carlos understood why now.  
  
" _ **Not your partner**_." The radio crackled off. Not even Jill being moody down the radio could burst his bubble, although he did roll his eyes.  
  
Now they were getting somewhere. He turned back to Tyrell to see him with his fingers pressed against his ears listening to someone else talking to him. Carlos did a quick cursory glance of the tracks now they had a bit more light to see. As far as he could tell, the track was pretty much clear. His looked back at Tyrell when he heard him finishing his conversation.  
  
"Yeah okay, I'll be right there to assist." Tyrell dropped his hand from his ear and glanced at Carlos. "Nicholai needs a hand with something, so I'm gonna go meet up with him. Coming?"  
  
Carlos' hand rested against his empty magazine pockets, and shook his head. "I need to swing by the ammo crates, I'm a little bit low."  
  
Tyrell nodded before trotting off down the track. Carlos sighed as he patted his handgun ammo pouch, not much in that either. A couple of mags should see him safely back to the train. His radio crackling to life almost made him start. Jill must be quick, she couldn't be at the control room already.  
  
" _ **Carlos**_ " Her voice sounded more urgent, causing Carlos to instantly be on alert. " _ **That thing is still alive! It's after me!** _"  
  
Carlos swore under his breath, his fingers flicking up to his radio as he broke into a run, back towards the station.  
  
"What? Run! Come back to the station!" his heartbeat speeding up with his pace.  
  
" ** _Not until I get traffic control online!_** "  
  
"Jill? Jill! Ah hell" He dropped his hand from his ear and held his rifle a little bit higher. Damn cop was stubborn. He continued sprinting to the train station, the gravel under his boots echoing with his heavy breathing. 


	6. Stubborn.

Carlos placed his rifle on the platform above him. He took a deep breath in. He jumped and his forearms came to rest on the platform edge next to his rifle. He grunted as he levered himself up. He pushed himself onto one knee, reaching out for his rifle...  
  
" _**Carlos, I'm in the control room. Now what?**_ "  
  
He breathed out a sigh of relief., reaching up to his radio. "Nice! Now you gotta plot out a route."  
  
" **_Ok, gimme a sec_ **" Jill's radio clicked off.  
  
He picked up his rifle, using the butt of the gun to push himself up into a standing position, his muscles protesting every movement. He couldn't remember the last time he slept... or ate. And that sprint up the tracks was taking its toll. Carlos walked over to the ammo crates, placing the rifle to the side he dug in the boxes for more ammo.  
  
" _**Alright where are we headed?**_ "  
  
Carlos placed his hand to his radio as he placed magazines in the pouches on his jacket. He glanced up at the sign denoting which platform they were at.  
  
"The train is stopped at Redstone Street." He pulled a crinkled map from his pocket, he smoothed it out on the ammo crate next to his rifle. His finger traced the line from Redstone out of the city. "We need to reach Fox Park station" He paused to take a breath, glancing at the train next to him. "Can you program that in?"  
  
" _**Hey I'm supercop. Consider it done**_ " The statement surprised a laugh out of him as the radio clicked off. He leant against the ammo crate for a few moments before wiping his hand against his brow. His heartbeat had stilled enough for him to move. He picked up his rifle and glanced up the stairs to street level. If that monster was still alive and tailing Jill... he needed to make sure the shutters were secure. He slowly made up his way up the stairs to street level, his legs burning with each step up.  
  
" **_Carlos, it's me. I've finished inputting the subway route_** "  
  
Carlos sighed in relief, his smile creeping back onto his face.  
  
" Jill, you are amazing! Tough as nails too "  
  
His smile faltered when he heard distant roar outside, his face turned to the main entrance, swallowing when he realised what was still out there.  
  
" Hurry back to the station. We'll make sure the subway is ready to depart. "  
  
He flicked his radio to another channel "T, you there?"  
  
After a couple of moments, that started to make him worry the radio crackled into life. " _**Loud and clear Carlos, we're just on our way back**_ "  
  
"How close?"  
  
" ** _5 minutes, tops. Don't worry about us we're fine_ **"  
  
Carlos dropped his fingers from his radio and glanced up the stairs again. He leaned his hands against his knees, in a vain attempt to stretch out the ache buried deep in his thigh muscles. He heard the echo of a shutter sliding shut echo through the corridor. He turned to go up the stairs, as he reached the top Jill came into view, sporting more than a few more bruises. What he wasn't expecting the bone deep relief that spread through his body.  
  
"Nice job, supercop. I'm impressed" he dropped one hand from his rifle, holding it loosely against him.  
  
Her breathing was heavy as if she had run a marathon "We back in business?"  
  
Carlos sighed. "Yeah, mostly. But we need 30 to 40 minutes to finish maintenance"  
  
The shutter next to them rose quickly upwards, Carlos spun around his weapon at the ready, relaxing instantly when he saw Tyrell and Nicholai.  
  
"Nicholai! How we doing?"  
  
"The town's crawling with those freaks. No chance of fighting our way out of the city" Nicholai glanced from Tyrell to Carlos, his gaze sliding behind him. His face contorted slightly, almost with rage. He gestured at Jill.  
  
"Why is she here?" He demanded, as he strode slowly towards her.  
  
Carlos shifted himself in a nonchalant gesture, hiding the fact his rifle was a little more ready "She's helping get the trains running again."  
  
Nicholai made a noise "Bad time to start carrying dead weight, friend" As he approached Jill, she took a couple of steps back from him, her hand flitting to the handgun holstered at her side. "She's unreliable. Can't pull the trigger when it counts." Jill's eyes narrowed at that statement.  
  
"Hey. Take it easy." Carlos shifted into a position behind Nicholai. His finger moved into a closer to his trigger, the tension causing him to tense his arms.  
  
Nicholai held his gaze with Jill, Jill's eyes flicked once to Carlos. Nicholai made a tutting sound and turned to Carlos, causing him to step back a little bit when he realised how close he had moved himself. He met Nicholai's gaze.  
  
"She'll get you killed" The Russian said. Carlos smirked as Nicholai moved off towards the train. He turned and saw Tyrell give him a knowing look before he too moved off. Carlos turned back to Jill.  
  
"Sorry about that." He glanced towards Nicholai's retreating back. "Everyone's a little worked up"  
  
A smash, sickening close, followed by a roar sounded behind them. Jill and Carlos whipped round, his rifle was instantly pulled up to his shoulder.  
  
"Aw come on. Not again" He kept his rifle trained on the exit as he backed up to the security shutter behind him, while Jill ran to the shutter controls. As they slowly began to close she ducked underneath it. He turned to her as she paused, her body halfway to a straightened position, her face took on a realisation, as if someone had flicked on a light.  
  
"It's me he's after" She glanced at him before turning back to the direction away from safety. She rolled under the grate just a second before it closed "I'll buy you some time"  
  
"Hey wait." Carlos moved to follow her, skidding to a stop before the grate, his eyes fixed on the creature as it turned to follow Jill. "Wait, Jill! No!"   
  
She flicked her gaze towards the creature that was halfway down the stairs before running down the other corridor.  
  
He bashed his hand against the grate as the creature disappeared after Jill. "God Dammit!"  
  
He heard Jill's voice echo from the corridor " _Come on, you creepy-ass stalker! You want S.T.A.R.S?! I'll give you S.T.A.R.S!_ "  
  
Carlos kicked the grate again, while his hand rattled it for good measure. He growled in frustration.  
  
"... _stubborn cop"_ he muttered, before turning to head to the other exit. Jill was gonna let him help whether she liked it or not.


	7. At Least Leave The Lights On For Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writers note: Now this is where some creative licence starts to come in as we aren't really sure what happened with Carlos when we are with Jill. But I wanted to flesh out the story as much as possible. So apologies if this isn't what you had in your mind, but I hope its okay. Plus my writing is not the best when it come to things like this. Although I have tried to stick to bones of the stories as much as possible.

Carlos hopped down the stairs two at a time, he rushed past Nicholai, who frowned at him. Mikhail was giving orders to Tyrell by the subway car door as Carlos bounded up to him.  
  
"Carlos! We are about ready to lea... where is Jill?" He frowned as Carlos took a moment to breathe in deeply.  
  
"No time to explain, have we got any rocket launchers left? Or any explosives?" Carlos didn't wait for an answer as he chucked his rifle on top of the ammo crates. He lifted the lid on the ammo crate next to it, his hands searching through the supplies, his movements thorough but panicked.  
  
Mikhail placed a hand on his shoulder, stilling him. Carlos, took a deep breath and glanced up at Mikhail.  
  
"Carlos, where is Jill?"  
  
Carlos glanced back the way he had came, his hand closed into a fist next to him. It shook up and down slightly... "There's some kind of..." he turned back to the supply crate, his fist tapping against the edge of the crate before he grasped it leaning against it, steadying himself as he thought through his words.  
  
"There's some kind, it's not a zombie, well maybe it is, but it's like a super zombie." He sighed as Mikhail raised his eyebrows at the statement. Tyrell was frowning as if not believing the statement. Nicholai however seemed fascinated... perhaps too fascinated, leaning against the wall, deep in thought. Carlos turned around, leaning his back against the crate, his arms folded tight against his chest.  
  
"It's giant, 8... maybe 9 feet in height. Humanoid in shape, bears some of the skin wounds and colour that all the other zombies have but, its been modified." He raised his hand and made a circular motion over his chest, where his heart was. "It looks like its got some kind of device implanted here, unknown purpose, but it has a higher pain threshold, smart and tough to kill. I know cos I've already shot a rocket at it and it appears to be still kicking."  
  
Mikhail rubbed a hand over his face as he leant on the crate, staring deep into its depths, considering Carlos' words. Tyrell was muttering. Nicholai had a thoughtful expression, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. Carlos frowned, something started to seem off about Nicholai, he glanced down at the floor.  
  
"Jill... Jill made it follow her. She said she was going to buy us some time."  
  
Tyrell stopped and stared at him. Mikhail was still silent before glancing at Carlos "And why would she do that?"  
  
"It seems determined, like it has one mission. Like its been programmed to go after one thing and from what I've seen, the common denominator in that is Jill. Maybe it's after S.T.A.R.S? Maybe.." he paused as his gaze drew distant "...maybe not all the accusations Jill made were completely unfounded."  
  
"Carlos..." Mikhail almost growled, but Carlos cut him off, squaring up to him.  
  
"I know. I know. They sent us here to help out with civilians, and rescue. I get it. But doesn't anything of this seem a little odd to you? I mean they were deploying us to Raccoon City long before this shit hit the fan, long before the cases were first classified as the T-Virus. Why in the fuck would they send us to a middle of nowhere city for an op just and just happen to be right place right time."   
  
Carlos shook his head as his outburst ended, pressing his hand against the back of his head as he paced. Tyrell look bemused and Nicholai had a dangerous glint in his eye. Carlos frowned leaning his head back before dropping his hand.  
  
"Look, I'm not letting this subway leave until we at least get Jill back" Nicholai made a disgusted noise behind, but Carlos ignored it.   
  
"She risked her life for us" He faltered, before his voice softened "We should at least leave the lights on for her" He glanced at Mikhail.   
  
Mikhail considered. He glanced at the civilians on the subway car before sighing.  
  
"40 minutes.. no more." Carlos felt his shoulders sag with relief, as the weight was lifted off them "Tyrell!" Tyrell jumped as Mikhail addressed him. "Check the subway is 100% ready to go. Nicholai make yourself useful and check on survivors."  
  
Tyrell rushed off, but Nicholai frowned. He eventually shrugged and pushed himself from the wall where he was leaning and sauntered past Carlos, smirking at him as he went. Carlos felt his hands clench into fists again, before he felt something nudge against him, he glanced down and watched Mikhail press a claymore into his hand.  
  
"This is all we have. Well there is one more explosive but its not for you to have." Carlos parted his lips to argue, but Mikhail firmly shook his head.  
  
"You are brave man Carlos, but you are young. Too young to waste with a dead man switch." Carlos swallowed as the words reached him, he nodded before hooking the claymore to his belt. Mikhail's mouth was pressed into a grim line as he held Carlos's gaze.  
  
"Now go, make sure Jill has clear path to us."


	8. Relief

Carlos continued to rummage in the ammo crates for more supplies. He absent mindedly shoved a bandage into one of the various pockets on his vest., before his hand dropped down brushing against the claymore strapped to his waist. He didn't think this would do much against the monster. If a full on rocket strike to the chest won't kill it then why would a claymore?   
  
With the amount of kit and people down in the station, the air felt oppressive and hot. And the small fires that were smouldering away to themselves on the unoccupied tracks, didn't help with the heat levels. Carlos wiped sweat off his forehead with his arm, pausing to try and unstick some of his hair from his forehead. The dust on his gloves began to stick to the strands of his hair, caking it in more dirt that he probably wouldn't be able to wash away for while. His shirt already felt like it was clinging to his body much more than it should. He leaned against the crate, his body aching.

" _Carlos, can you hear me now?"_  
  
His heart faltered, as his hand flicked to the radio in his ear. Relief poured through his veins.   
  
"Jill! Oh, thank god! Everything ok?"  
  
" _Yeah, I'm alive_ " Carlos closed his eyes as her voice washed over him, pushing away a fear he didn't realise he had. " _I lost him_ "  
  
"Great. The subways' read to go. We'll leave as soon as you get back"  
  
The radio crackled off with no reply. Carlos' heart stumbled again.   
  
"Jill?" All he got was crackling in reply.   
  
Carlos slid down the crate, resting his forehead against his knees. He hoped it was the signal that caused Jill to drop out. And not that some mutant monster found her.  
  
"Carlos, you alright?"  
  
Carlos lifted his head from his knees and found Tyrell gazing down at him.   
  
"Yeah, T, I'm just... it's been a long time since we slept. I guess my body is starting to feel it"  
  
Tyrell nodded his head, before rubbing a hand across his jaw, as if rubbing away his own aches. He glanced back at Carlos. "You heard from Jill?"  
  
Carlos nodded "I told her we're good to go, but the signal dropped out again, at least I hope its the signal"  
  
Tyrell peered at him, his frown creased in thought. "You're worried." He said matter of factly.  
  
"Wouldn't you be if someone decided to distract a mutant zombie to save you?" Carlos answered sarcastically.   
  
Tyrell rolled his eyes at the comment. "I meant, you are worried like you care"  
  
Carlos threw his arms wide "Hey I'm a caring guy. Big lovable puppy me"  
  
Tyrell shook his head. Carlos however was trying to hide the fact his brain was going into overdrive at Tyrell's comment. Was he worried because he was doing what Tyrell was implying?. Caring in a way he shouldn't. He blinked as Tyrell reached out a hand to help him up. Carlos grasped it, his muscles tensing as he got pulled upright. Carlos patted Tyrell on the shoulder as a weak attempt at a thank you, causing Tyrell to smile, before his eyes slid past his shoulder looking behind him before frowning.   
  
"You are going soft, Carlos."  
  
Carlos felt his fist curl up at the sound of Nicholai behind him, he turned slowly to face him. Nicholai smirked.  
  
"What are you on about Nicholai?" Carlos asked gruffly

"Risking life and limb for a woman of no importance? You are weak. I thought boys raised in the heat of guerilla warfare weren't soft. Guess I was wrong."  
  
Carlos didn't answer, he refused to rise to his jabs at his past. Something Carlos was working hard to move away from.   
  
"We should leave, we can't be waiting around for bleeding hearts."  
  
"Fuck you Nicholai" Carlos inwardly cursed as the outburst left his lips. Goddamn Russian had a got a rise out of him.   
  
Nicholai laughed as Carlos glared at him, before walking off.   
  
Carlos shrugged off Tyrell's sympathetic pat on the shoulder, bent to pick up his rifle.  
  
"I'm going topside"  
  
And before Tyrell could respond, Carlos had jogged up the stairs. His rifle against his chest.  
  
Time to clear a path


	9. Nemesis Down?

Carlos brushed his fingers against the sliding shutter, checking it for defects. It looked a little warped from some of the heat from the flames, but otherwise looked sturdy. But then the shutter had been designed to keep out the common criminal and looters, its effectiveness against a super large zombie was definitely unknown. Although Carlos was leaning more towards the _'unlikely to keep it at bay for long'_ option.  
  
He dropped his hand from the shutter, felt it brush against the weight of the claymore on his belt. He needed somewhere to place this. Although it wasn't very big, if Jill came running in hot with something on her tail, a well placed claymore might buy them a few moments. He glanced outside, scanning the environment.  
  
There was a large fuel tanker parked at an angle, its doors flung open, abandoned in the garage forecourt. He debated leaving the claymore next to some fencing opposite the fuel tanker, but with the gas pumps as well, the resulting explosion may cause a chain reaction that could take out Jill as well as whatever was tailing her.  
  
No that was out of the question.  
  
He frowned as the image of Jill running down a corridor tailed by the monster, flitted into his mind, the growl echoing through his bones. Carlos felt his hand reaching up, panic driving it, fist clenched to bash against the shutter separating them...

He jumped as he heard the clatter of the brick he had just kicked, hit against the wire fence. Echoing the past, breaking him out of his thoughts. He shook his head.  
  
He forced himself to scan his surroundings, stay in the zone, do your job...  
  
" _S.T.A.R.S_ " Carlos found himself muttering under his breath... at first he thought it was frustration at the thought of Jill distracting him, but then his frown deepened.  
  
That's what the creature had been growling, one single word... S.T.A.R.S  
  
He looked up panicked as he found himself in the middle of the garage forecourt. The distance moans and groans of various states of undead in the distance didn't phase him. Not as much as the pieces that were now clicking together, like a big fucked up jigsaw.  
  
" _Jill was right... it was after her_." He whispered, his hand reaching up from the claymore to rest against the butt of his rifle. He gripped it as determination flushed through him.  
  
Make a path.  
  
His eyes rested on the tanker, before sliding past it, seeing a slightly smaller, but still sizable, loader truck abandoned behind it, blocking the road. He ran up to it, skidding to a stop in front of it. He glanced to his right, down the road, recognising the makeshift barrier placed at the end of it. Beyond it the alley way that looped round to another subway entrance, as well as leading towards the main avenue. A chokepoint, he just had to make sure Jill led it the right way.   
  
He ran up to the corner of the building closest to him, opposite the row of apartment buildings. He rested his right hand against the wall as he crouched down, his left hand grasping the claymore, unclipping it from his belt.  
  
He was about to reach down to place it, when his radio crackled, a short stutter before going quiet again. He rested back on his heels.  
  
"Jill?" He found his voice whispering, the question echoing the flutter of hope inside him. His hand clipped the claymore back down onto his belt, before his fingers fluttered up to his radio.   
  
The radio crackled again, but this time louder, more stable.  
  
" _ **Carlos, it's Jill. Do you read me?**_ " Her voice was the ointment that spread down his aches, he sighed in relief as he felt a laugh almost choke out of him.  
  
"Loud and clear." His relief coloured his words, he heard his own voice crackle slightly in his head as the relief caused him to breathe out over the radio. He felt himself glancing down the road, when a small nagging thought crept in. "You alright?"  
  
" _ **Yeah...** _" He felt her heavy breathing down the radio. " _ **Bastard's dead** _"  
  
Carlos was reaching for the claymore on his belt again when her words stopped him in his tracks. She sounded so sure but he felt himself frowning, as if in doubt. He wasn't doubting her, far from it, Carlos was beginning to trust in her abilities more and more as the minutes ticked by. But to say the monster was dead... But he wasn't going to voice those doubts to Jill. Not right now.  
  
"Good. Fuck 'im" He found his voice saying, carrying much more determination than he felt. Then he felt irritation creep back in, the memory of his fist banging against a grate as Jill ran off.  
  
"But what were you thinking! Turning yourself into bait?" He winced as the irritation crept into his voice, crackling the radio. He softened his voice "You could've been killed"  
  
Her sigh came down heavy on the radio.  
  
" _ **Don't start.**_ " Her voice stubborn, and stand-offish. " _ **I did what I had to.** _"  
  
Carlos bit down on his tongue, stemming the irritated reply that bubbled up. He swallowed as he realised that she had essentially saved their bacon. He rubbed his hand against his forehead.  
  
"I know." His voice breathy, soft, as he reeled in his frustration. "And, uh..." His hand rested against the back of his neck, he felt his cheeks warm as he spoke "Thanks."  
  
The radio was quiet in response, causing Carlos to swallow. He made his tone more businesslike. "The subways ready to go. Hurry back."  
  
His hand dropped from the radio and rested on the claymore. His eyes grew distant as he remembered firing a rocket at the monster.  
  
His hand ripped the claymore off his belt before setting it up in front of him, his other hand patting at his pockets, trying to find a remote detonator.  
  
" _Can't be too careful_." He muttered.


	10. Tired

Carlos finished setting the claymore, making sure it was hidden just enough to not be noticed but still be close enough to cause havoc. He tested the switch in his hand, satisfied as the tell-tale red activation lights switched on and off. He placed the trigger in one of the pockets that wouldn't easily be knocked, and then leant back on his heels. His hand rubbing against his neck, trying to push away the bone deep ache he was feeling.   
  
He tried to ignore the aches, but now that he was still, his body was highlighting each and every one of them to him. In painful clarity.   
  
His hand rubbed against the back of his neck, before tracing round the front to rub out an ache that extended from his collarbone to his shoulder. He winced as his fingertips brushed a burn that sat just underneath the sleeve of his shirt.   
  
He last slept... almost 18 hours ago now, on the journey into Raccoon City. The last time he ate... there was no point dwelling on how long ago that was.   
  
His stomach growled as his thoughts lingered on food. His hand dropped from his shoulder, brushing against the rifle leaned against the wall next to him. He grasped it, using it to lever himself up into a standing position, grunting as his muscles protested the movement. He stretched out his back, before tugging his shirt and jacket down into a more comfortable position.   
  
"Hey Carlos."   
  
Carlos glanced to the side and took in Tyrell, stopped a couple of steps away from him.   
  
"Hey T." Carlos ventured wearily, rolling his shoulders.   
  
"Man you sound tired. Here..." Tyrell let his rifle hang at his side as he pulled an energy drink and a small power bar from his jacket. "Thought you might need this."   
  
Carlos was about to politely say no, before his stomach loudly disagreed with him. He sighed, reaching out a hand as Tyrell smiled at him. Tyrell placed the drink and power bar in his outstretched hand.   
  
"Thanks" Carlos grudgingly said. He shoved the power bar into a spare pocket, and unscrewed the lid on the drink. He took a large gulp, feeling the sugar energy wash away the edge on his aches. He felt a little bit of strength return to his limbs. He slowly screwed the lid back on the drink bottle before stashing it in spare pouch on his belt. His eyes followed Tyrell as he leaned against the wall next to him.   
  
"How ready is the subway?" Carlos hesitantly asked, worrying Tyrell was gonna tell him they were good to go and were gonna leave Jill behind.   
  
Tyrell rubbed a hand across his jaw  
  
"We found a quirk in the wiring, gonna take at least another... 30 minutes. Although we aren't gonna leave anyone behind. Well.." He kicked the ground with the toe of his boot.   
  
"Well what?" Carlos put forward when Tyrell didn't speak up again.   
  
"The subway ain't leaving without Jill. But.." he gestured at the two of them "We aren't going with it."  
  
Carlos clenched his jaw, the Adam's apple in his neck bobbed as he swallowed, choosing his words with care.  
  
"And why aren't we leaving with the subway train?"  
  
"Mikhail has got wind that a..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn notebook, staring at the scuffed writing on it. "Dr Nathaniel Bard is here in the city. Turns out he's been working on a vaccine for the virus."  
  
Carlos tensed, staring at Tyrell in shock "An actual vaccine?"  
  
Tyrell shrugged. "Who knows, Mikhail has tasked us with finding him. Talk about needle in a rotting haystack."  
  
Carlos was still mulling over the idea that there was a vaccine, a way to safely end this. He glanced to his side as Tyrell clapped him on the shoulder.   
  
"I'm gonna go back and take another look at that wiring, unless..." His voice trailed off as he looked back at the subway station frowning. "Unless you need any help out here?"  
  
Carlos smirked "Nikolai pissing you off T?"   
  
That statement earned him a two fingered salute off Tyrell.   
  
Carlos laughed. "Honestly I'm fine, I'm just gonna finish up clearing the way here and wait for Jill. You go back and fix that annoying wiring."  
  
Tyrell rolled his eyes before strolling off, Carlos smiled as he watched him walk off, before rolling his shoulders again. He peered round the corner of the building and saw the barricade that was still in place.   
  
He stretched out his back, before grabbing the power bar out of his pocket. He frowned before unwrapping it and shoving it in his mouth, brushing crumbs off his gloves before making his way to clear the path.   
  



	11. I Think I Know How To Slow That Fucker Down

Carlos grunted as he shifted one last off the stack and placed it against the wall. He paused to lean against the wall as he heaved some air into his lungs. He wiped sweat off his brow, and patted his pockets on his vest, before pulling out the bottle and chugging the last two mouthfuls of the energy drink down.  
  
He turned his back to the wall, as he shoved the empty bottle into one of the cardboard boxes next to him. He sighed as he leaned his head back against the wall, shutting his eyes.   
  
How easy would it to just have a nap right now?  
  
Just to give in to the aches and pains and tiredness pulling at every inch of his limbs.  
  
He slid down the wall and settled down, groaning as his legs ached, he stretched them out. His eyes were still closed, and he felt sleep pulling at him.  
  
He really shouldn't sleep.  
  
He shifted, trying to make himself uncomfortable, try to push back the tiredness in his limbs.  
  
 _You can sleep later._  
  
Maybe a couple of minutes.  
  


~  
  
A distant explosion echoed in his head. Carlos felt himself frowning, his eyes still closed, annoyed at the noise.  
  
The second explosion, caused the wall behind him to shake.   
  
His eyes snapped open as he remembered where he was. He glanced up as third explosion sounded, new smoke trails were making their way hazily into the sky.  
  
"That sounded like a rocket launcher.." he muttered to himself. 

Then he remembered Jill was still out there and he sat up right, his rifle clattered to the floor next to him as his hand fumbled with his radio. He opened the channel to Jill.  
  
"Jill?!"  
  
The radio crackled with the silence. Her radio was off.  
  
He growled in frustration, pushing his finger on the urgent talk button, pushing a signal through. He could only imagine the incessant beeping now emenating from Jill's radio. If she were alive to hear it, it wouldn't be long she got annoyed enough to answer it.  
  
 _Come on Jill...  
  
_ Then a beep as the radio call was accepted.   
  
_Finally._  
  
"Jill, you Ok?" His voice shouted, panic in it, as the crackle of the radio channel opening sounded in his ear.   
  
" _Carlos, that monster's on my ass again!_ " The annoyance in her voice clear. Although not enough to hide the heavy breathing. Like she had been running.   
  
Carlos felt his jaw clench. That damn monster was still alive?? What the hell would it take to kill this thing?!  
  
"Are you shitting me? I thought you killed it!" Carlos shot back, although he regretted his tone of voice. He wasn't angry at her, he was angry at the situation.   
  
" _Me too!_ " Was the eventual reply.   
  
Then the radio shut off suddenly. Carlos looked up as he heard another explosion in the distance, albeit close this time. He growled in frustration as he picked up his rifle, pushing energy into his legs as he pulled himself up.   
  
He glanced at the recently cleared shortcut to the alley. His breath caught as he whipped his head back round to stare at the loader truck, before his hand rested on the pocket with the activator switch for the claymore. The pieces of the plan he had been working on finally made its way back into his tired mind. He flicked his hand up to his radio again.  
  
"Jill, you there? I think I know how to slow that fucker down" He glanced up at the smoke in the distance trying to gauge what direction Jill would be coming from. "Head back toward the station"   
  
He strode out into the alleyway, bringing his rifle up to his shoulder, shining his torch light round the corner, checking no zombies had snuck up on him.  
  
" _And lead him right to you?_ " The out of breath question sounded in his ear as Jill replied. She sounded concerned.  
  
Carlos sighed flicking his fingers back up to his radio.  
  
"Its Ok." He replied, trying to convey confidence. His mouth tightened. "Trust me!" He said with more conviction.   
  
He flicked his radio off, not waiting for her reply. He stood with his rifle readied, cocking the slide back his shoulders set stubbornly.   
  
Jill may not trust Umbrella, but he sure damn well hoped she had enough sense to at least trust him for a moment or two.   
  



	12. Igniting A Fire

Carlos hugged his rifle closer to his chest as another explosion sounded round the corner, his lips pushed harder together as his hand moved to cover the trigger. He pulled the rifle to his shoulder as Jill skidded round the corner.   
  
"Jill!" His gaze slid behind her as he heard the footsteps of something much larger approaching "This way!" He yelled. 

Jill scrambled towards him as he turned to the recently cleared alleyway, the roar behind him had him wincing as he found some grip on the pavement slick with blood as he sped forwards, hoping that Jill could keep up. He just needed her a little bit further forwards, just enough to get her past the clay-more. With one hand on his rifle as he neared the loader truck his free hand reached into his pocket pulling out the claymore trigger. He reached the shutter door and turned to look back. His free amr raising up to his face as another explosion went off. He lowered his arm and saw the loader truck bounce on its axles as RPG round hit it square on. Jill had stumbled and hit the deck hard. Carlos went to run forwards but Jill had already scrambled to her feet, stumbling as she made her way towards him, looking over her shoulder. Carlos gritted his teeth and watched her movement, his thumb resting over the trigger. She was halfway towards him when Carlos heard the massive footsteps heartstoppingly close. He pressed his thumb over the trigger watching the tell tale lights come on just as the creature moved round the corner. 

_"Have a taste of your own medicine"_ As he clocked eyes with the creature.   
  
The claymore went over blowing the creature into the already battered loader truck, the creak of its axles as it bounced up again, before settling down. Carlos rushed forwards his hand reaching towards Jill as she shielded herself from the blast. Carlos grabbed her elbow, ignoring the relief he felt at feeling her alive underneath his fingertips. 

"Hey, you Ok?" He asked, his fingers firm on her elbow as she turned to look at him, her breathing heavy. Her gaze turned back to creature and he followed her gaze.   
  
The creature was knelt down, flames surrounding it as he glanced up at them, a growl slipping through his rotten mouth.   
  
_Seriously?!_

"Go..." Carlos felt the words slip through his mouth. He glanced back down at Jill before shoving her towards the safety of the subway station. "GO!" He yelled louder, relief as Jill decided not to argue and run towards the subway station.

Carlos turned back to creature, pulling his rifle to his shoulder and opening fire as the creature lurched to its feet. He was gonna empty the entire clip if he could. He teeth gritted together.   
  
"C'mon!" He heard Jill yell at him over his gunfire, his gaze flicking to the side to see her turned to look at him. "Forget about him!"

Carlos growled in frustration, dropping his rifle down and sprinted towards Jill, as she turned back towards the subway station to run in. He paused as he reached just before the door, watching her turn towards him, her hand slammed against the shutter door release. He heard the shutter shudder as it slowly began to close. His breath hitched as he realised something... he turned his head slightly. The fuel tanker.

He had an idea. 

He turned dropping to his knee and fired the rest of his magazine towards the fuel tanker, as the creature got ever closer, as it began to aim the rocket launcher in their direction. The last bullet in his mag finally caught on the fuel inside, igniting it. A chain reaction spread throughout the entirety of the truck, engulfing the creature. Carlos rolled backwards, grimacing as the top of the shutter grazed his shoulder, he had just enough time to glance up and have a smug sigh of relief before a residual explosion got underneath a crack in the shutter door, blowing him back with a grunt, his rifle cluttering from his grip as he crashed against the floor, groaning. A sickening crunch pushed the shutter door forwards with a creak as what looked like the creatures head impacted with the other side. 

He glanced up as Jill moved towards him, holding out her hand. Carlos grasped it as she pulled him to his feet. Their heavy breathing echoing on the rooms walls. Carlos glanced at the door, not trusting that it would hold if the creature was still kicking. He bent down and picked up his rifle, turning to Jill.   
  
"C'mon" His voice was hoarse as his chest heaved with the effort of breathing "Let's get out of here."


	13. Seperated.

Carlos made his way down the steps, his footsteps echoing. The place was deceptively quiet... and he wasn't keen on quiet. He felt like he was being led into a false sense of safety. He shook his head slightly, trying to shake out the last residual rings from the explosion. 

"Carlos." He heard Jill start behind him, almost hesitantly. He paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at her. "I know we didn't get off to a great start, but..." She glanced at the floor as her breathing settled, before glancing back up. Sincerity in her eyes as she met his gaze. "...thanks for the save."   
  
Carlos swallowed before glancing away, his jaw twitched as fought an awkward smile. He moved towards the door at the end of the corridor, not meeting her gaze. 

_Say thank you back._ His brain almost yelled at him. Carlos sighed. She had been the one to save him first. He wasn't the one who had run off with a creature tailing him. He paused as his hand rested on the door handle. 

"Hey, you saved my ass first." He swallowed as he rolled his shoulder as pain radiated through it. He turned the door handle, stepping through into the bright light of the corridor beyond it. He turned to look at Jill, feeling his blood rushing to warm his cheeks as she looked at him with her steady gaze. "You're a hell of a lot braver than me."

She nodded, before glancing away. "Well, what matters is we can get everyone out of the city now."

Carlos turned to jog forwards, hearing Jill's footsteps echo as she followed him. He swallowed as he remembered what Tyrell had told them about their orders to find the Dr. Not everyone was getting out of the city. 

"Yeah." He said, hesitantly. "You'll be safe." He hit the button of the shutter door, and glanced out of the corner of his eye at Jill, she was frowning at him, her forehead knitted together as she puzzled over his statement. Carlos tried not to meet her gaze as the shutter rolled up. She tapped him on the arm forcing him to look at her.   
  
"What about you?"

Carlos sighed as he met her gaze. "From the sound of it. I won't be catching the train."

Her eyes widened as she looked at him before she reigned in her surprise. 

"Why not?" She asked, her voice steady, but she still made Carlos squirm under her gaze. 

"There'll be new orders." He said carefully, not knowing how much he should say. "If it means I can help save the city... then..." He pulled the rifle up to his chest as he pulled his emotions in, pushing his fears down "...that's fine by me."  
  
He didn't wait for Jill to reply, he turned and ducked underneath the half open shutter, heading down to the platform level, avoiding any awkward questions she would have. Normally he wouldn't care about lying to someone. But this one felt bitter as it left his lips. He didn't like lying to Jill, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of that yet. As he reached the final set of stairs Jill had caught up and was level with his shoulder. He paused as he sensed her near. He tensed as she stared at him, her gaze questioning, but she moved on and headed towards Mikhail. Carlos leant against the wall for the moment, gathering his thoughts.   
  
"Good work!" He glanced up as he heard Mikhail's gruff tones echo towards him as he greeted Jill. Carlos rolled his shoulder out, grimacing as his arm ached before continuing down the steps. "Your reputation is well deserved." Mikhail nodded at him as he approached before turning back to Jill.  
  
"Get inside... Mikhail gestured at the open subway car door. "The subway is about to leave."

Carlos moved past Jill, and headed towards Tyrell, he felt Jill's gaze burning into the back of his neck, but he ignored it. Although he was finding it harder to do. 

"Carlos, Tyrell." Carlos turned towards Mikhail as spoke to them. "You have your orders."  
  
Carlos felt himself nod at the words but he found his gaze going over Mikhail's shoulder to watch Jill walk onto the subway car. He shook as his head as he realised Mikhail was still talking. Mikhail tightened his eyes slightly at Carlos before continuing in his normal gruff tones. "You need to go back out into the city and find Nathaniel Bard."

Carlos nodded as Mikhail fixed his stern gaze on him, Carlos turned his gaze to Tyrell seeing the same determination echoing in his face. They had orders and they were going to make sure they carried out to the best of their abilities. The city depened on them.   
  
"This isn't the last ride out of town, right?" Carlos looked up and caught Jill staring at them, concern making her forehead crease. Her hand resting on the side of the subway car, one foot on, one foot off. Almost as if she was prepared to come with them if it wasn't. Carlos felt his heart stutter. He wanted her on that train and going to safety, she shouldn't be worrying about him. He opened his mouth to tell her so, but Mikhail beat him to it.   
  
"Do not worry." He gestured at the train. "Once the civilians are safe, the train will be back." He nodded turning his attention away from her and back towards whatever it was he was carrying in his hands. Carlos felt his hand tighten on his rifle before he looked up, forcing a smile onto his face.   
  
"It's alright, you go on ahead. I'm not gonna die on you and leave you in a cold, cruel, Carlos-less world." He suppressed as grimace as the words left his mouth, they sounded cheesy even to him. He fought punching Tyrell on the arm as he heard him cover his laughter with a snort. Jill smirked, before rolling her eyes.

"OK" She said sarcastically, but it was softer and less harsh than it had been before. Her gaze held Carlos' for a moment before she finally stepped onto the train. Carlos breathed a sigh of relief before turning back to Mikhail and Tyrell. Now he could focus entirely on the mission. 

Mikhail glanced at both of them before his gaze turned serious, his voice lowered as he spoke. "You need to find this scientist. His vaccine research could save us all." 

Carlos swallowed as he turned to the ammo crates, resting his rifle against the wall before grabbing extra supplies.   
  
"Good luck" Carlos spared a brief glance at Mikhail as he turned to get on the train. Carlos nodded before turning back to his supplies. "Let's go!"

The subway door hissed closed behind Mikhail, Carlos felt his hands grip against the ammo crate. He glanced up as the subway train creaked into motion. His gaze met Jill's as she turned out the window to look at him, his jaw tightening as she moved away. He didn't drop his gaze into the subway train's taillights disappeared out of view. He felt his neck tighten as he swallowed, pushing down his worry before turning back to gathering supplies.   
  
"Cold, cruel, Carlos-less world?" He rolled his eyes as he looked at Tyrell's mocking face. "What cheesy dating pickup line book did you pull that from?"  
  
He lightly punched Tyrell on the arm, although he couldn't help but smile as Tyrell's warm laugh washed over him.  
  
"Shut up T. Let's just gear up and get out of here."  
  
"Whatever you say Romeo." Tyrell continued laughing as he stripped his rifle down to check it for defects. 

Carlos moved to grab his own rifle, but he couldn't stop his gaze staring down the tunnel the subway train had left down. 

_Let's just hope it gets to its destination safely._


	14. "Custody? I thought this was a rescue"

Tyrell paused to peer through the metal fence in front of him, muttering to himself as he inspected the gate. Carlos took the moment to stretch out his arms, and check his rifle was still functioning. He pulled at his vest as he rolled his shoulder out, looking at the night sky above him. It was unnervingly quiet, all he could hear was crickets chirping in the grass nearby. He found his thoughts drifting...  
  
  
"It's been awhile..." He found himself saying. He moved his rifle back up against his chest as Tyrell turned to look at him. "Subway's gotta be clear of the city by now."  
  
Tyrell smirked. "Along with your hot date?"  
  
Carlos felt his mouth twitch upwards briefly at the comment, before he glanced away. Tyrell continued smiling as he turned back to inspecting the gate. Carlos shifted his rifle a bit higher as he thought. "Nah, she's not like that. Hell, she's not like anybody."  
  
Tyrell grunted as he moved the bolt across, wrenching the gate open. The gate creaked as it swung on its hinges. Tyrell readied his rifle and peered round as he moved through, Carlos moved to follow, pausing as he entered the gate, turning to look behind him to check that nothing followed them.   
  
"Alright..." Carlos glanced back at Tyrell, who was inspecting what looked to be a freshly dug grave. "...keep your head screwed on, Romeo. This is the police station."   
  
Carlos glanced around him frowning. "Uh, you sure? 'Cause it looks like a cemetery to me"   
  
Tyrell glanced back as he heard the note of doubt in his voice. "I'm sure Carlos." He gestured to his right with his rifle. "Main entrance is that way."  
  
"Alright..." Carlos muttered, skirting round the graves. He grimaced slightly as his boot caught up against a body that hadn't been buried yet. He noticed a well lit stairway that headed underneath the main entrance to the building. He pointed his rifle down the stairs as he approached them, his rifle light bouncing off the walls. He gingerly took a step down, something putting him on a uneasy feeling. Just as his foot hit the second step he heard a grunt ahead of them.  
  
"Brad! Stop!" He heard a voice yelling, his rifle rattled as he pulled it up into a more ready position, his mouth fell open slightly as he squinted at the main entrance in front of them. He took in the profile of a RPD officer rapidly backing away from someone with his gun trained on them.   
  
"T!" He gestured to his right with his hand, keeping his rifle trained on the two in front of him. He heard Tyrell run to the right as he backed up the stairs. He heard Tyrell grunt as he slammed his shoulder into some boards that had been bolted against the stonework, blocking their path.  
  
"C'mon, man. Not you too" Carlos heard the officer say in front of them, before the unmistakable low growl of an infected reached them. Carlos slammed his own shoulder against the boards when he heard two shots fire off. Carlos peered through as and watched the cop point his weapon at the infected in front of him, but he hesitated.   
  
"What is he doing?" Carlos muttered. He watched as the officer lowered his weapon, just as the infected lunge forward, throwing him to the ground, screaming out as teeth sunk into his side. Tyrell slammed his shoulder against the boards finally getting the boards to splinter, kicking them through. The officer managed to kick off the infected before scrambling through the main entrance just as they approached. Tyrell gave one cursoray glance at the infected rolling around on the floor trying to get back up before rushing to the main entrance. His fist slammed against the door as it failed to open.  
  
"Shit! It's locked!" He yelled, before kneeling down to try and pick the lock. Carlos flung his gaze back to the infected as it managed to stumble to its feet, its gaze locked on him as it screamed, the blood from the officer it had just attacked spraying out.   
  
Carlos flicked the safety off, cocking his weapon. "You stay on the door. I got this fucker"  
  
The infected stumbled towards him, its hands reaching out. Carlos opened fire, firing at least 10 rounds into the infected skull, smirking with satisfaction as it crumpled down into a heap at his feet. He walked up to him, shoving the corpse with his foot. Its only then he noticed something on his jacket that made him pause. He knelt down, curiosity getting the better of him. He wiped some blood off the jacket, sighing as he noticed the RPD insignia.  
  
"No wonder the cop hesitated..." he muttered.   
  
"Leave him! C'mon!" Tyrell yelled as he wrenched the door open, Carlos glanced up before glancing back at the man in front of him. He noticed the ID card that was hanging out of his pocket. Might be useful. He reached in pulling it out, inspecting it.   
  
"Brad Vickers?" He muttered. His eyes tightened slightly as he wiped some blood off the left hand side of the card, revealing the department this Brad Vicker's was attached to. "He's S.T.A.R.S?" he glanced at the building, before shoving the card in one of his vest pockets as he straightened himself up. "That could be useful."  
  
He made his way up the steps, shifting his rifle down to the side as he pushed through the main door. He glanced round the entrance lobby, taking in how massive it was.   
  
_Woah.  
  
_ His gaze finally rested on Tyrell, who had managed to find himself a computer and was busy getting down to what he does best. He glanced around the room, frowning as he didn't see any sign of the cop that had gotten bitten.  
  
"Where'd that cop go?"  
  
Tyrell turned to look at him. "Don't know, don't care." Tyrell gestured to the computer in front of him. "We got a job to do."  
  
Carlos wandered up behind him, placing his rifle on the reception desk. He leaned against it as he listened to Tyrell tap on the computers keyboard. He frowned as he looked at the screen before glacing back at Carlos. "If our intel's still worth a damn, then Bard's in the S.T.A.R.S office. Let's find him and take him into custody."  
  
Carlos glanced up frowning, as Tyrell went back to typing on the keyboard. "Custody? I thought this was a rescue."  
  
Tyrell ignored him as he focused on trying to hack into the RPD's systems. Carlos sighed as he picked up his rifle. If Tyrell was going to ignore him, may as well make sure the room they were in were secure.   
  
"Carlos, take a look at this. I've located the S.T.A.R.S office." Tyrell brought up something on the computer screen. Carlos sighed as he moved closer to Tyrell, overlooking his shoulder. Carlos frowned as he scanned the video cam footage, the S.T.A.R.S door clearly marked. That showed him what it looked like, didn't show him where it was though. As if reading his mind, Tyrell brought up a schematic of the RPD floorplan, highlighting the office. Carlos turned to go, but paused as Tyrell tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Remember, Bard has access to Umbrella's darkest secrets. He knows we'll try to keep him under our thumbs." Tyrell moved back to typing on the keyboard.  
  
Carlos had no idea what 'darkest secrets' Tyrell was referring to, but he heard himself scoff as he worked out the meaning. "So this 'search and rescue' mission is more like 'find and detain'?" He blew out of his nose as he hummed to himself. "...right. Good to know."  
  
Tyrell tapped on the keyboard more as Carlos moved away from him. Tyrell seemed oblivious to Carlos tone and doubt about why they were really here. "I'll open the shutter so you can get through" he said.   
  
Carlos frowned at the business tone, clearly Tyrell knew something he didn't. But he wasn't gonna force the issue now. "Alright. You stay here and find out what's been going on at the station."  
  
Tyrell nodded. "Call ya if I find anything."   
  
Carlos moved off, checking his pockets for ammo as he went.   
  
"Hey..." He turned back as Tyrell had turned to look at him. "...be careful."  
  
Carlos heard the shutter start to slide open behind him. He sighed. "Yeah, you too, man." He replied.  
  
He turned away from Tyrell, cocking his assault rifle before ducking underneath the shutter. Time to see what horror's await him in the police station.   
  
  
  



End file.
